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Terms of MC's probation for 2008 Arizona case were revealed on Friday.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Lil Wayne
Photo: Alexander Tamargo/ Getty Images

Lil Wayne isn't allowed to drink alcohol for three years, according to Arizona probation documents obtained by TMZ.

According to the papers, the newly freed MC (born Dwayne Carter), who just wrapped up an eight-month prison bid for gun possession, "may not consume or drink any substance containing alcohol" under the provisions of his probation for a 2008 Arizona drug and weapons case. Weezy also cannot knowingly consort with any individual involved in criminal activity or anybody that has a criminal record without getting approval in writing from the probation department.

Additional terms make possessing toxic vapors, controlled substances or illegal drugs also off-limits to the MC. Wayne must submit to drug and alcohol testing. He could be sent back to prison to ride out the remainder of his time on probation if he fails to comply with the terms.

Wayne was taken into custody in January 2008 at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint, where authorities alleged that Ecstasy, cocaine and a handgun were found on the MC's tour bus. Weezy copped a plea deal that has him doing mandatory community service, in addition to three years of unsupervised probation. Wayne pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a dangerous drug in exchange for the dismissal of three other drug and weapons charges.

If Wayne behaves himself throughout his probation, the severity of his original offense will be downgraded.

"Even though it's treated as a felony while he's on probation, if he completes his probation without any violations, the offense will be redesignated as a misdemeanor," Wayne's Arizona attorney, James Tilson, told MTV News on Tuesday.

WEEZY WATCH Bookmark weezywatch.mtv.com for MTV News' complete, round-the-clock coverage of Lil Wayne's prison release and the ensuing homecoming celebrations.

Weezy is currently in celebration mode, with a major throwdown set to kick off in Miami Sunday. However, an expert recently told MTV News that, among the challenges that someone in Wayne's position faces, he has to be careful not to overindulge in his newfound freedom.

"The danger is when you have been deprived of something and then get it in excess, you swallow it and take it up in excess and it becomes a rush, it becomes an extreme version," said psychotherapist Allison Bobick, director of student advancement at New York's Touro College Graduate School of Social Work. "They're both extremes, and whenever you have those extremes, it prohibits you from living a healthy lifestyle."

Stick with MTV News throughout the weekend for up-to-the-minute reports on Lil Wayne's prison release as we follow him from Rikers Island to his celebrations at home and beyond. Follow us on Twitter @MTVNews for instant updates and bookmark weezywatch.mtv.com for complete, round-the-clock coverage.

• Welcome Home, Weezy!

• Lil Wayne's First Days After Prison

• Lil Wayne

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Black Eyed Peas producer says 'if you want a song to be a big #1 smash, then you have to play a Michael Jackson song while you're making your song.'
By Mawuse Ziegbe

will.i.am on "The Seven"
Photo: MTV

As the mastermind behind inescapable jam "Boom Boom Pow" and record-disintegrating smash "I Gotta Feeling," will.i.am has been rockin' bodies — and those are just the hits he's pulled off for the Black Eyed Peas. The producer/rapper has also powered chart-winners for stars Usher, Estelle and John Legend and has recently turned his hitmaking skills toward fellow MC Nicki Minaj.

On Wednesday's (September 29) episode of MTV's "The Seven," will, who teamed up with Minaj for her peppy Pink Friday offering "Check It Out," broke down his approach to creating chart-busting tracks. He said he mines inspiration from some of music's most game-changing artists when he puts together a record.

"We call it 'A-B-ing.' Anything you make, there's nothing new under the sun. So there's always an 'A and B' to whatever your approach is," he said. "So if you want a song to be a big #1 smash, then you have to play a Michael Jackson song while you're making your song."

He said using an artist such as Jackson as a benchmark will usually let a producer know if a track really has that 'It' factor. "What you don't want to do is have a 'hit record' and then turn it on and it isn't as loud as Michael Jackson's."

Minaj, who experienced will.i.am's skills firsthand on "Check It Out," said hopping in the studio with the Peas frontman was a singular experience.

"That's when I knew he was a freaking, next-level ... not even a human when he recorded me," Minaj told "The Seven." "The word 'producer' ... means different things depending on who's using the word. will's the only producer that produced me. He really sat there and he got this weird sound, and I was like, 'What?' "

In addition to drawing an insane performance from will, the Young Money Barbie marveled at his ability to quickly craft the cheery instrumental.

"The beat wasn't even done," Minaj recalled. "He made the beat on the spot."

Minaj's awe for will appeared mutual. The Peas lyricist said the hip-hop upstart is way more than just a rapper with a rollicking flow; she's an artist.

"Her being a dope rapper, a dope MC, is just an element of the Nicki factor," will said.

What are some of your favorite will.i.am-produced hits? Let us know in the comments!

Don't miss "The Seven" every weekday at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.

• Will.I.Am
• Nicki Minaj

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